Dioxirane compounds have the following structure: ##STR1##
Although dioxirane itself, H.sub.2 CO.sub.2, is not stable, various other dioxirane derivatives have been isolated in stable form. Dimethyldioxirane (DMD) was first isolated by Murray and his coworkers, and a method for synthesizing DMD in acetone solution is described in Murray et al 1985 (full citations are provided below). Various other dioxiranes have also been isolated, including methylethyldioxirane and diethyldioxirane (Murray et al 1985) and trifluoromethylmethyl dioxirane (Mello et al 1988). Dioxirane chemistry is relatively new, yet it is already possible to synthesize dioxirane compounds having a variety of structures, depending on the structures of their ketone precursors. More elaborate dioxiranes, such as dioxiranes having cyclic ring structures, can probably be synthesized and isolated as well, using methods that are currently known or hereafter discovered.
Dioxiranes are powerful oxidizing agents. For example, DMD has been used to oxidize primary amines, forming nitro compounds (Murray et al 1986). Eaton et al 1988 reported that dioxirane can be used to oxidize sensitive primary amines if the amine hydrochloride rather than the free amine is used. Zabrowski et al 1988 reports the use of dioxirane to oxidize substituted anilines to form nitro compounds. Prior to the subject invention, they had not been used to create nitroxides.